Typically, the frames of metal buildings are stabilized with rods or cable braces and held in place with nuts, bolts and washers. Because of the angles involved in the cross-bracing, the threaded portion of the bolt or bracing is at an angle to the beam that it passes through. To provide a flat surface for the nut placed around the threads, a hillside washer is used. For example, referring to prior art FIG. 1, a metal building frame has diagonal rod or cable braces between wall columns 4 and roof purlins 3. Diagonal rod and cable braces stabilize the metal frame of the building from lateral forces exerted against the building frame, effects of loads placed on the frame, and vibrations, as well as helping in construction of the metal framing. Concentrated loads on the rods and metal cable 2 are transferred by hillside washers directly to the columns 4 and roof purlins 3 of the frame 1.
FIG. 2 shows a prior art hillside washer with a rod 7 mounted on a wall column of a wall unit 6 using a hillside washer 8, a flat washer 10 and a nut 11. The other end (not shown) of the rod is bolted diagonally to another wall column or roof purlin. The threaded end 9 of the rod 7 is inserted through a hole or slot formed in the wall column of the wall unit 6 to an extent that permits the threading of the hillside washer 8, the flat washer 10, and the nut 11 on to the end 9 to mount the rod 7 to the wall unit 6. The hillside washer 8 allows for the transfer of the load from the diagonal rod 7 to wall columns of the wall unit 6 through the washer 10 and the nut 11.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the standard prior art hillside washer 8. The hillside washer 8 defines a nipple or a nub 13 that extends from a flat bottom surface of the hillside washer. In use, the nub 13 is passed through a correspondingly shaped slot formed in the metal building frame when washer 8 is mounted in place against the metal building frame. A curved surface 14 provides a bearing surface for the flat washer 10 to permit attaching the mating rod 7 at a variety of angles to the building frame. The opening 15 on the curved surface 14 permits passing of the rod 7 through the hillside washer 8 at variety of angles. The shape of hillside washer 8 permits it to be oriented so that the flat surface 12 of the hillside washer 8 is positioned against wall columns 4 or roof purlins 3.
One prior art way to distribute the load from the hillside washer is to take a flat plate, drill an opening through the plate, and weld the flat plate to the building frame such that the opening in the plate aligns with the slot in the building frame. The flat base 12 of the hillside washer 8 is positioned against the flat plate such that the opening in the flat plate is collinear with the channel in the hillside washer. The rod 7 then is inserted through the flat plate, hillside washer 8, flat washer 10, and a nut 11 to mount rod 7 to the wall unit 6.
Many of the prior art hillside washers have broad slots or openings along the curved portion. This wide opening will allow the rod 7 to have play in the slot. If this play is undesirable, the builder must use a specialized washer that have an opening to receive the rod but also is shaped such that the specialized washer has a snug fit within the channel. This configuration helps to stabilize and hold the mating rod 7.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,270 discloses a flanged hillside washer have a curved hillside portion that has teeth that mates with a specialized, toothed washer. The flanged hillside washer of the '270 patent does not have a smooth upper surface to permit continuous placement of a washer on its surface to optimize load distribution over the washer. In addition, the washer does not have a channel to receive the mating rod in which the channel has a constant width over a length sufficient to prevent widthwise play of the rod within the channel. Finally, the washer of the '270 patent does not have land or solid regions between sidewalls that strengthen the washer to prevent buckling or collapsing of the walls during use. The inventor believes that each of these features, separately or in combination, are important in the operation of an improved hillside washer for improved load distribution.